The Acura TL is an executive car produced for the 1996 – 2014 model years.
Despite its age, it still has a fair amount of electronics that may beep mysteriously.
If your TL keeps beeping and you don’t know why, we are here to help.
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Why Does My Acura TL Keep Beeping?
The most common cause of beeping on an Acura TL is the headlights have been left on. Other causes include exiting the car with the fob with the engine running, faulty parking sensors, the seatbelt sensor, a low key fob battery, an aftermarket device or an electronic device left in the car.
1. Headlight Switch In ON Position
Make sure the headlight switch is in OFF or AUTO. Otherwise, your TL will beep at you.
Here is what one TL owner had to say on AcuraZine.com:
“Sorry guys but I feel kinda stupid now that I figured it out. IT was that I moved the auto lights switch to always on so it was beeping cause of that duh lol.“
It is not possible to disable the chime although you can indirectly by turning off your headlights.
If you’ve just received your car back from a valet
2. Exiting Car With Fob and Engine On
If you exit your TL with the fob and the engine running you will hear a beeping noise.
Here is what TL owners on AcuraZine.com had to say:
“My 2010 TL makes several loud beeping noises when opening the door and exiting the car with the key fob while the engine is on. Any suggestions on how to turn off this feature??? “
“All cars with push button starts have this feature. The car trying to warn you that you are leaving the car running with no key fobs inside. This is a safety feature since the car does not need a physical key in the ignition to stay on. I guess it’s your choice if you want it on or off. I personally like it one.”
3. Faulty Parking Sensor
Intermittent beeps could be a sign that the parking sensors are faulty. Per the manual, a series of two intermittent beeps indicates that the right sensor is faulty or disconnected.
You can look behind the bumper and confirm that the sensor is plugged in securely.
Troubleshooting With Beeps:
Corner Sensors
- Series of two intermittent beeps: right sensor is faulty.
- Series of three intermittent beeps: left sensor is faulty.
- Series of four intermittent beeps: right and left sensors are faulty.
Note: Not all TL’s have parking sensors.
4. Phone Left In The Vehicle
A common cause of mysterious beeps is actually from the owner’s phone and not the car itself.
Here’s what TL owners had to say on AcuraZine.com:
“Where does the beep seem to be coming from? It sounds like someone left a cell phone with missed calls under the seat..”
“After reading this post, got in my car and started to hear random beeps! Turned out to be my cell phone’s battery dying!”
“Could it be coming from a cell phone forgotten under a seat that is giving a “missed call” alert.”
5. Low Key Fob Battery
A low key fob battery can cause a variety of issues, including mysterious beeps.
Try giving the fob a clean, remove any dirt/dust/grime and replace the battery.
Here’s what one TL owner had to say on AcuraZine.com:
“I’m pretty sure you just need to replace the battery in your keyfob.”
6. Fob Still In The Car
If you’ve left a key fob in your TL, you may hear a warning beep.
7. Car Is Not In Park
If you turn the key off and open the door without manually putting the vehicle in park, the vehicle will be left in accessory mode and may sound off a series of rapid beeps.
8. Not Pressing Brake Hard Enough When Shifting To Park
If you aren’t stepping on the brake hard enough when you shift into Park, you may hear a beep.
Make sure you come to a stop, then apply the parking brake, then shift to Park.
9. Door Is Open Whilst the Car Is Running
Ensure all car doors, the trunk and hood and firmly and properly closed.
10. Seatbelt Sensor
Another common cause for beeping is related to the passenger seatbelt sensor.
The sensor itself may be broken or it might be triggering a beep if there is weight on the passenger seat such as groceries or your pet dog.
A simple test for this will be to fasten the seatbelt and see if the noise stops.
It’s a good idea to ensure all doors and the rear hatch are shut properly too.
11. Accessory Plugged in 12V Outlet
Sometimes your TL for whatever reason won’t like some of the accessories you plug into the 12V Power Outlet.
Some owners have found by disconnecting their charging devices/electronics from the outlet the beeping has ceased.
12. Gauge Cluster Bulb
If a bulb blows in your gauge cluster then your TL may start beeping at you to try and signal that there is a problem.
It’s hard to alert this issue to the driver otherwise.
This could be an airbag warning light that’s gone out, so just have a thorough inspection of the light on your gauge cluster to make sure there lit up properly.
The best time to do this is just as you turn the key in the ignition and everything should come on.
13. Aftermarket Alarms and Add-Ons
If your TL has some aftermarket device or alarm fitted, it could be the source of the random beeps.
Here’s what TL owners had to say on AcuraZine.com
“Sounds like someone either put in an aftermarket alarm or the little speaker that makes the startup chime has gone bad.”
“The tech found what it was, and it was an aftermarket add-on….
…Apparently my car was previously owned by the lucky recipient of multiple DUIs. It was a decommissioned breathalyzer ignition control system. The alarm that sounded when the system failed to detect the control and recording unit was not decommissioned at the time that the system was shut off. I found the speaker, said a quick prayer that I wasn’t going to cut off the ignition to my car and cut. Everything works perfectly now, even the original soft start chimes are back!”
14. Electronic Devices Inside or Outside of The Car
The beeping may not actually be coming from your TL. Do you have any other electronic or battery-powered devices in your vehicle that could be causing the beeping? Usually, it’s their batteries going bad.
For example a garage door opener or a dropped wristwatch.
On AcuraZine.com one owner posted this confession:
“I was having a similar issue except it would be about once every minute. Once I came across this thread and reading some of the posts and someone suggested that I just disconnect my battery I thought it was the stupidest thing then I realized that I had bought a cheap Casio watch and it was in my glove box and it was running some sort of lap timer and it would beep every minute.”
15. Electrical Issues
If your TL has developed an electrical fault e.g. problems with the Body Control Module or there is a wiring issue, it may beep as a result of this.
This can be quite difficult to diagnose if there obvious warning messages and the best thing to do is visit your local Acura dealer.
16. Weak 12V Battery
A weak 12V battery can cause a wide range of issues.
To rule this potential cause out, simply inspect the battery for any corrosion and ensure the connections are tight.
You can clean the battery with baking soda, water and a toothbrush.
Then visit your nearest mechanic, dealer or AutoZone and ask for a battery health check, some places offer this service for free.
Acura TL Beeping When Door Open
If the headlight switch is ON then this will trigger beeping when the driver door is open. Make sure the headlight switch is on OFF or AUTO to avoid beeping.
You may notice this after getting your car back from the valet as sometimes they need to adjust switches to clean them properly.
Acura TL Beeping While Driving
The most common cause for an TL that beeps whilst driving is the seatbelt sensor. If there’s weight on the passenger seat this can trigger the alarm, or if the seatbelt sensor is faulty this will trigger it too.
Try buckling the passenger’s seat belt.
It’s also a good idea to make sure all the doors and the rear hatch are closed properly.
If all of these conditions are met, the problem could lie in a defective door switch, leading the TL’s electronic system to think a door is open while the car is in motion.
Some owners have suggested disconnecting the battery for an hour to see if that clears any possible errors.
Acura TL Chirping Noise
If there’s a strange chirping sound coming from your TL’s engine then this could well be related to the fuel you are using.
This is a common problem across several Acura and Honda models.
Some owners have noted that this is to do with fuel that contains ethanol and the sound is normal – the ethanol in the gas makes the fuel pump make that sound.
This problem is accentuated though if you use low-quality, cheap gas.
Changing the fuel pump will likely not make the noise go away.
So we advise trying higher quality gas, failing that it’s best to speak to your dealership.
Alternative Suggestions
Check for Recalls or TSBs
By entering your car’s VIN number on Acuras recall page or the NTHSA’s Safety Issues & Recalls page you can determine whether or not there is a TSB or recall for your vehicle and if there is you’ll want to get it addressed.
A recall is issued by a vehicle manufacturer for issues that are safety-related, while a TSB covers components that may be malfunctioning but don’t compromise the safety of the vehicle.
Disconnect the Battery
Sometimes mysterious beeping problems can disappear with a simple reboot, there are no guarantees here but it’s worth a try.
Disconnect the battery for 20 seconds and this resets many of the electronics in the vehicle.
Check For Warning Messages
When the beeping occurs can you see any lights or warning messages on the instrument panel?
This can give a clue as to what’s causing the beeps e.g. ‘Door Ajar’.
Take it to an Acura Dealership
If needed, take your Acura to the dealership.
Tell them you are NOT paying for a check on what the problem might be.
Ask them if they will check it for free.
Most dealerships and other places do quick/initial diagnosis for no money as they plan to make money for the repair of your vehicle.
If your unit is still under warranty then they should fix and resolve the issue for free.
Related: 19 Best & Worst Acura TL Years (Pictures & Stats)
Resources
https://owners.acura.com/vehicles/warranty?year=2011&model=TL
https://owners.acura.com/service-maintenance/recalls
https://www.acura.com/contact-us
